Spaces: Work in progress

Debbie Patlovany jokes that her husband, Larry, initially liked the house in Leon Springs because it resembles a boat.

Debbie Patlovany jokes that her husband, Larry, initially liked the house in Leon Springs because it resembles a boat.

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Debbie Patlovany jokes that her husband, Larry, initially liked the house in Leon Springs because it resembles a boat.

Debbie Patlovany jokes that her husband, Larry, initially liked the house in Leon Springs because it resembles a boat.

Spaces: Work in progress

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A break from school means homework for veteran educators Larry and Debbie Patlovany. On nights, weekends and summer vacations the couple tackles a project at the fixer-upper they bought in the Leon Springs area four years ago.

When they first got a look at the 1969 house on 4 acres, they were put off by its condition and decided it wasn't the house for them. But it stuck in their minds.

"A couple of days later I came home from school and I said, 'You know Larry, you're going to think I'm crazy, but I keep thinking about that house.' He started laughing and he pulled out a paper from his briefcase where he had taken this area and basically sketched out a kitchen and what we could do with it," Debbie recalls.

They gave it another look and made an offer.

Because their Leon Valley home of 25 years sold sooner than they had anticipated, the Patlovanys had to move to their new house and live in it amid construction.

In the beginning, they worked constantly, Larry said. "The first thing we did was tear out everything. We tore out the floors," he said. Walls came down, too. They took care of "destruction" and hired people to handle most of the remodeling tasks.

"This area was actually three rooms," Debbie says about the kitchen, which now includes a sitting area and a dining space. "We had the idea that we wanted this to be an open room and then a friend of ours who designs kitchens and bathrooms actually came up with the design for us.

"We spend most of our time in here," says Debbie, who loves to cook and bake. The couple chose natural slate tile for the floor, drawers for most of the lower cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops - even on the island, which has the gas cooktop.

On winter mornings, there's a fire in the fireplace of the sitting area, a cozy corner where two leather recliners offer a serene spot for reading or relaxing.

Next to it, a built-in desk with the same granite used on the countertops, holds the computer.

The Patlovanys' 3-year-old grandson, Nate, gets his own wooden school desk, along another wall. The couple bought it years ago at a school auction in McAllen for their two sons, Matt and Chris.

The natural slate from the kitchen spills out into the entry and into the living room, where it's used at the fireplace hearth on the rock wall. The couple selected wooden planks for the floor and a taupe paint for the walls. They stayed with a neutral palette of various shades of taupe throughout the house.

Summer vacation provided them time to take on remodeling a bathroom, which they completed before Debbie went back to work as an elementary school principal and Larry returned to teaching high school drama.

The house's second bathroom is next on the renovation list, followed by redoing the driveway.

"It is now, and will continue to be, a work in progress," Larry notes. "Every time we turn around, there's something we've got to do."

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Veteran educators Debbie and Larry Patlovany love homework. Breaks from school provide them time to renovate their home near Leon Springs. Here are their lessons on making over a house:

Be flexible: "A project never ends up the way we start it. Never," says Debbie. The couple planned to install an oversized soaking tub in the bathroom, but once they enlarged the room by knocking out two closets she suggested a walk-in shower. Larry resisted at first, wanting to stick to the plan, but eventually agreed to the change.

Acknowledge steps: "Enjoy the moments when you have part of the project finished," Larry says. He remembers leaving school one day, excited that he could wash dishes that night in the kitchen. "It was the first night we had the sink hooked up; we had been washing dishes in the bathtub for months. You just relish those little accomplishments."

Expect problems: The island's granite top was delivered with the hole for the sink cut incorrectly so it had to be replaced. "That delayed the project again, six weeks, but we survived," Debbie notes.

Hang in there: "You just have to roll with it. There's no need in being upset. Eventually, it will get there and then you'll really enjoy it once it's finished," Debbie says.